Hyderabad: As the sun set on Sunday, the heat did not seem to dissipate in Hyderabad and several other districts, with night temperatures recorded at a sweltering 37-39°C and 36ºC at 9 pm. One person succumbing to sunstroke in Suryapet district, even as the mercury shot past the 45ºC mark.
In Hyderabad, unlike what a typical weekend evening looks like, many prefer to stay indoors with air-conditioners and fans going full blast.
"The temperature outside is way too hot to be able to have a good time even at night. The breeze is warm and humid conditions make it unbearable. We decided to stay home this weekend, thanks to the AC. I'm sure fans and coolers are the best bet for many for the next couple of weeks," said Yashwanth Reddy M., a cricket fan who would otherwise spend time at an open-air screening during crucial matches.
The relentless heat has prompted the India Meteorology Department-Hyderabad to issue an orange alert for several districts for Monday, including isolated pockets of Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, and Jogulamba Gadwal.
The IMD warned that similar conditions are expected to continue, for five days.
Several districts recorded extreme temperatures on Sunday. Madugulapally in Nalgonda district was the hottest at 45.4º Celsius. Close behind were Ashwapuram in the Kothagudem district and Mangapet in the Mulugu district, both recording 45.3ºC. Timmapur and Kothapalli Gori in Mulugu and Ibrahimpet in Nalgonda all recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2ºC, while Alubaka in Mulugu and Pangal in Wanaparthy district experienced temperatures of 45.1º Celsius.
